Tag: social-media

We were lucky enough to attend Google’s Video Ignite event at the New York Chelsea office. It was a great event packed with a ton of useful content that we would like to share with you!

Video has been gaining popularity for quite some time now; video even had its own section at Think Auto this year, which was a first. Most of us would agree that we would rather ‘watch’ the internet as opposed to ‘reading’ it, but how do you become successful at utilizing video? Karolina Chodkiewicz, Senior Strategic Partner Manager, YouTube Content Partnerships North America with Google was so kind as to share the top 10 fundamentals of YouTube:

Shareability
Does your video appeal to users in a way that will encourage them to share you video? Having great content is key, and here are a few things to keep in mind when developing a strategy for your video: is it topical, is it valuable, and is it relatable?

Conversation
Is there an element of your video that speaks directly to your viewers? This could be content added in the main video or as supplementary content. Think of calls to action and video descriptions!

Interactivity
Are you able to incorporate your viewers into your content? Are you able to spark a conversation in the comments section and get them involved with what you’re doing?

Consistency
This is probably the hardest fundamental: updating your video content regularly. We all get busy and forget to make time. Having a schedule and specific video format in place will be key. You also want to make sure you’re portraying the right personality and voice in all of your content.

Targeting
Do you have a clearly defined audience? You can set your targeting at the video level, show level, and even channel level. Targeting your videos will give you more opportunity to speak to different audiences.

Sustainability
If the audience loves it, can you make more of it? Meaning, if you spend $40,000 on a video that everyone loves, do you have the resources to keep making videos to that level? Can you continue to hire the right crew for your video?

Discoverability
Will your content be found? Not every video can go viral, but are you choosing topics that are trending or evergreen (like how-to and DIY videos). Go check out google.com/trends to kick-start those creative juices!

Accessibility
Can every single video be appreciated by a brand new user or do they need to sit there and watch multiple videos to understand what you’re trying to get across? If you want your content to be shareable, you will want to make sure it’s accessible as well.

Collaboration
Is there a way to feature guest stars? More and more viewers are relating to YouTube Creators as being more like them compared to traditional celebrities. This means that they take their opinion seriously!

Inspiration
Is the idea for this video coming from a genuine place of passion and does it fit your overall brand? You want to create unique content that aligns with your brand identity and excites your viewers!

Karolina and her team researched the top performing YouTube channels and found that they all incorporated a combination of these 10 fundamentals which were key to building their success. We’re not suggesting that you need to incorporate all 10 of these items in every single video, but keeping 2 – 3 in mind is definitely a good place to start.

If you’re looking to get some videos created and would like some help coming up with a strategy, don’t hesitate to give our team a call!

Right now, even the most progressive dealerships in the country are using some sort of spinning platform with different areas where you can attach lighting for best results. This contraption raises the vehicle off the ground and spins the car so you can capture it from different angles.

The new Facebook 360-degree video technology will take consumers’ increasing demand for more photos and video to a whole new level with full 360-degree video. They are claiming this is the “best camera of its kind”.

The How & Why with Facebook 360-Degree Video:

The Facebook 360-degree video camera is built with 17 component cameras: 14 wide-angle cameras on a flying saucer, 1 fish-eye camera on the top, and 2 more on the bottom. Using web-based software and new techniques in filming, you’ll be able to “stitch” images together and bring your customer into the vehicle in a new way. Facebook has created a webpage with helpful tips and tricks, best practices, and success stories to help you get the most out of Facebook 360-degree video: https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/get-started/360-video.

Facebook is saying they’re not interested in jumping into the camera-manufacturing space, so they’ll be putting the open-source designs on GitHub sometime this summer. There are a few other companies in this space that have designed versions similar to the Facebook 360-degree video camera, but so far, there has been no comparison of video quality between them all.

The future of video shows a clear path into 360-degree viewing and virtual reality. If you haven’t started doing videos of your showroom and dealership, get filming and give the people what they want! What are you waiting for?

We all know how important online reviews are, and Google just made it easier for users to leave reviews on your Google+ page. Google+ accounts are no longer required for leaving reviews, and Google is now allowing users with just a Google account to leave reviews. Users now have the ability to use either a Gmail or non-Gmail based account to post about their experiences. The only requirement is users must display both their first and last name.

This small change will make the review process easier, and will open the door for more of your customers to leave reviews!

Are your website or marketing campaigns failing to generate business? How do you convince uncertain buyers that your product and services meet their needs and expectations? How do you persuade them that they are right to call on your services and right to trust you?

One of the most effective ways to persuade a potential customer is to show credible testimonials.

Why is this?

How often do you hear the following statements: “I’m not much of a car person”, or “I don’t know much about cars”. Now, put yourself in your customer’s shoes. What do you do when you need to buy a product you don’t know much about? What is your initial reaction when you are searching for an expensive product or service? According to Google’s Think Auto data, 48% of people consult the internet for vehicle information, and 25% consult their family and friends for this information. This is because prospective clients want to mitigate as much risk as possible. When we are faced with a tremendous amount of vehicles to choose from, we all want to make the “right decision” and avoid making a purchasing mistake.

Loyal customers have a story to tell. Give someone who has already made a similar purchasing decision a chance to tell their story in front of the cameras and showcase what’s great about your dealership.

These testimonies will play a huge role in reassuring customers of their decision making throughout the buying process. That being said, not all customer testimonials are created equal. Unfortunately, many false recommendations circulate on the web, which makes it even more important to make sure your customer testimonials are credible and authentic.

Once you are ready to reap the benefits of a strong video testimonial, get on YouTube! This medium is greatly underutilized by Canadian car dealers. The potential to drive a lot more traffic and inexpensive pay-per-click rates are the two components that make YouTube a great tool for delivering video advertisements.

And guess what? Here at Strathcom Media, our automotive video production team will come right to your dealership with the proper equipment to produce high-quality videos without disrupting your day-to-day operations. All you need to do is have your vehicles (and any featured customers) detailed, polished, and ready to film. We will edit your videos to your satisfaction, and then optimize them for search engines to help you get the most views possible.

A few months back, Instagram hit 400 million users, making this mobile photo-sharing app officially larger than its rival Twitter. The growth in user-base isn’t slowing either, as it only took nine months for Instagram to achieve its last 100 million users.

If you are already leveraging social media platforms, you are more than likely using Facebook and maybe even Twitter. But you have ever thought to use Instagram to engage with your customers and develop brand awareness? Today, companies are increasingly turning to Instagram to engage consumers and boost their image.

SHOULD MY DEALERSHIP BE USING INSTAGRAM?

We have all heard the expression: A picture is worth a thousand words. The use of images is a great way to tell stories, and stories are much more effective in engaging people to generate an emotional response. Instagram is a great opportunity to differentiate yourself in the marketplace by expressing experiences that define your brand.

In this video below, you can see how the Instagram’s advertising tool (carousel ads) gives brands the ability to create a story using photos.

Needs some ideas on how to use Instagram to promote your brand? Here are some of the ways other brands are leveraging Instagram as an essential part of their marketing strategy

Use Instagram to increase demand by showing customers some highlights features of each model. Initiating an Instagram contest can work wonders in engaging your customers. For example, users can share photos of them in their car or using cool features.

If you would like to highlight your service department, show the impact of your work before and after.

Introduce your employees

Consumers are often daunted by the car buying experience. Performing a campaign highlighting the staff of your different departments within your dealership will help put a face to your brand and put consumers more at ease when they come for a visit.

Create anticipation

Share “teaser” photos to satisfy the consumer’s curiosity and to create anticipation for your new model launches. Remember to use popular and trending hashtags. This will make it easier for users to find your Instagram campaigns.

Highlight satisfied customers

Highlight a customer’s post-purchase satisfaction. Customers have a story to tell so give them a chance to tell their story in pictures and showcase what’s great about your car dealership. These images will play a huge role in reassuring customers of their decision making throughout the buying process.

Conclusion

Does managing an Instagram campaign still seem like a daunting task? Are you still unsure of where to start your campaign? Let Strathcom Media help you leverage this major social media outlet so you can better connect with your customers. Contact us today to find out more about our popular Instagram package.

Just when you thought you had an account for every social media platform out there, yet another app has been launched over the weekend. From the co-founder of Vine comes a new social media platform called Peach. So, what the heck is Peach and why should you download it?

Peach combines aspects of other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter – for instance you connect with “Friends” and you can “Tag” your favorite shows – but there are several features that make it unique. You can draw a picture with your finger, you can share the amount of battery life remaining on your phone, and you’re able to post faster with Peach’s “Magic Words” feature. For example, you can share a GIF by typing ‘g’, or switch to Safari by typing ‘sa’. However, one of the most unique aspects about Peach is that it is solely an app, meaning that posts cannot be viewed publicly. All content is only available to “Peaches”, and Peach is currently only available on iOS. Professor of media design at Parsons School of Design, David Carroll, described Peach as a “privately-owned walled-garden”.

If you are looking for an app that has a little more privacy, that allows you to be creative, and that encourages sharing among friends, then this new app is peachy-keen.

Say cheese! Soon you won’t need a smart phone to take a selfie with your vehicle. Nissan has recently unveiled “Teatro for Dayz”, the first selfie-friendly vehicle. Free of knobs and buttons, this car was designed to appeal to a younger generation.

Since 2013, many big brand companies have been taking advantage of Instagram’s 400+ million member community by sharing high quality, image-rich content while driving results that matter. Thanks to the great success of these campaigns, Instagram has opened up their advertising product to all advertisers, internationally. No brand, budget or idea is too small to take advantage of this next wave of social media advertising.

Many dealers have seen how Facebook can help them sell more cars and get better and closer access to their customers. But what about Twitter? Can the 140-character sharing site and land of the hashtag drive customers to their dealerships in the same numbers?

Well, Twitter has fast become a major marketing tool, and this post will help you wrap your head around a few reasons why you don’t want to miss out.

1. Be Seen by Millions

Effectively communicating on Twitter means your business or product could be seen by millions of users—230 million to be exact. An interactive presence creates stronger brand ties than simply seeing an ad in the newspaper or a commercial.

Many businesses still underestimate the effect Twitter has on its users.The fact is that 71% of users purchase products from brands they follow on Twitter.

A customer may follow an account after seeing an informative and interesting tweet and this ‘follow’ connects them

to your dealership. Someday this customer may need a vehicle, and your dealership will be the first to come to mind.

2. Scale your Customer Service

A major upside of having a Twitter account for your dealership is it scales your customer service team so more than just one person can answer reviews and inquiries.

This gives your business the ability to spread customer service responsibilities across yo

ur team and gets more employees actively engaged. Twitter is essentially a platform for users to share their thoughts, and customers will appreciate instant responses from a dealer if they did not have a favourable experience.

Remember, users are far more vocal on social media than they are on regular review boar

ds. By quickly replying to their tweets, you can help your business establish itself as a community-centric dealership.

3. Showcase Your Dealership

Another great aspect of Twitter is its ability to showcase the sights of your business.

Rather than rely on unreliable foot traffic to showcase the brand new Corvette you have sitting in your showroom, Twitter gives you the ability to tweet a picture of its bold yellow curves and entice Twitter followers to come in and check it out right away.

But why stop there? Do you have handsome staff? Does your dealership look great lit up at night? Are customers having a fantastic time playing one of your colourful promotion games or driving off in new wheels? Snap a pic and tweet it for others to share!

Twitter gives a dealership the ability to share their passion for vehicles, which—in turn—creates a more human connection to the brand.

Source: approvedautoleads.com

4. Market to Mobile

As mentioned earlier, 76% of users access Twitter on a mobile device.

That means they are browsing on-the-go. If you can catch a user’s eye and entice them

to stop by on their way home from work, this may turn into a possible sale.

86% of Twitter followers are more likely to make a future purchase from your business.

It is important to develop your voice on Twitter. Always remember to match your voice with your audience. Users will likely follow your account to learn about new products, but also to learn about the type of people they will be dealing with if they come into your dealership.

To find out more on how Twitter is fast-becoming an essential tool for auto dealers check out some of our other posts!